Hydropower engineer to substation engineer
A hydropower engineer already meets 35% of what the substation engineer role asks for. The move turns on 14 required skills not yet in the profile.
68.2/ 100
1 How much of what a substation engineer is expected to do is already part of a hydropower engineer’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the substation engineer role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A substation engineer role treats 11 of its required skills as things a hydropower engineer already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- approve engineering design
- design electric power systems
- electrical power safety regulations
- engineering principles
- inspect facility sites
- manage engineering project
What stands in the way is 14 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 12 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A substation engineer role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a hydropower engineer background worth leading with.
- already held design electric power systems communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held inspect facility sites information skills
- already held manage engineering project management skills
- already held electrical power safety regulations engineering, manufacturing and construction
- already held approve engineering design communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held mechanical engineering engineering, manufacturing and construction
All 12 carried skills, including the 11 the substation engineer role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 33 missing skills fall into 9 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn engineering processes required
- still to learn electric current required
- still to learn electrical discharge required
- still to learn electrical engineering required
- still to learn electricity consumption required
- still to learn electricity principles required
- still to learn mechanics required
- optional, not held electric generators optional
- optional, not held transmission towers optional
- still to learn ensure compliance with environmental legislation required
- still to learn ensure compliance with safety legislation required
- still to learn ensure safety in electrical power operations required
- optional, not held wear appropriate protective gear optional
- still to learn operate electronic measuring instruments required
- optional, not held manage electricity transmission system optional
- optional, not held respond to electrical power contingencies optional
- optional, not held adjust voltage optional
- optional, not held install circuit breakers optional
- optional, not held maintain electrical equipment optional
- still to learn make electrical calculations required
- optional, not held assess financial viability optional
- optional, not held ensure compliance with electricity distribution schedule optional
- still to learn adjust engineering designs required
- optional, not held manage workflow processes optional
- still to learn create CAD drawings required
3 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a substation engineer role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 engineering processes study this
- 02 make electrical calculations practise this
- 03 operate electronic measuring instruments practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 12 skills that carry over
- already held approve engineering design skill
- already held design electric power systems skill
- already held electrical power safety regulations knowledge
- already held engineering principles knowledge
- already held inspect facility sites skill
- already held manage engineering project skill
- already held mechanical engineering knowledge
- already held perform project management skill
- already held perform scientific research skill
- already held technical drawings knowledge
- already held use technical drawing software skill
- already held CAD software knowledge
The 3 learning areas not shown above
- optional, not held monitor electric generators optional
- optional, not held inspect overhead power lines optional
- optional, not held inspect underground power cables optional
- optional, not held test procedures in electricity transmission optional
- optional, not held develop electricity distribution schedule optional
- optional, not held develop strategies for electricity contingencies optional
- optional, not held supervise electricity distribution operations optional
- optional, not held electricity market optional
19 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held develop electricity distribution schedule optional
- optional, not held develop strategies for electricity contingencies optional
- optional, not held manage electricity transmission system optional
- optional, not held monitor electric generators optional
- optional, not held respond to electrical power contingencies optional
- optional, not held supervise electricity distribution operations optional
- optional, not held adjust voltage optional
- optional, not held assess financial viability optional
- optional, not held electric generators optional
- optional, not held electricity market optional
- optional, not held ensure compliance with electricity distribution schedule optional
- optional, not held inspect overhead power lines optional
- optional, not held inspect underground power cables optional
- optional, not held install circuit breakers optional
- optional, not held maintain electrical equipment optional
- optional, not held manage workflow processes optional
- optional, not held test procedures in electricity transmission optional
- optional, not held transmission towers optional
- optional, not held wear appropriate protective gear optional
25 held skills the substation engineer role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role CAM software knowledge
- not needed by the target role automation technology knowledge
- not needed by the target role draw blueprints skill
- not needed by the target role electricity knowledge
- not needed by the target role electronics principles knowledge
- not needed by the target role energy efficiency knowledge
- not needed by the target role energy micro-generation technologies knowledge
- not needed by the target role energy transformation knowledge
- not needed by the target role examine engineering principles skill
- not needed by the target role hydroelectricity knowledge
- not needed by the target role marine energy knowledge
- not needed by the target role oceanography knowledge
- not needed by the target role operate scientific measuring equipment skill
- not needed by the target role perform risk analysis skill
- not needed by the target role project management knowledge
- not needed by the target role promote environmental awareness skill
- not needed by the target role promote innovative infrastructure design skill
- not needed by the target role promote sustainable energy skill
- not needed by the target role renewable energy knowledge
- not needed by the target role research ocean energy projects skill
- not needed by the target role resource-efficient technologies knowledge
- not needed by the target role troubleshoot skill
- not needed by the target role use CAD software skill
- not needed by the target role use CAM software skill
- not needed by the target role use personal protection equipment skill
10 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn engineering processes required
- still to learn electric current required
- still to learn electrical discharge required
- still to learn electrical engineering required
- still to learn electricity consumption required
- still to learn electricity principles required
- still to learn mechanics required
- optional, not held electric generators optional
- optional, not held electricity market optional
- optional, not held transmission towers optional
Common questions about this move
Can a hydropower engineer become a substation engineer?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A hydropower engineer already covers 35% of what a substation engineer is expected to do: 12 skills carry over, 11 of which the substation engineer role treats as required.
What skills does a hydropower engineer need to become a substation engineer?
14 required skills are missing, plus 19 optional ones. They fall into 9 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by engineering, manufacturing and construction. The single most important is engineering processes.
How hard is the move from hydropower engineer to substation engineer?
Its learning distance is 68.2 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.